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. S. J. LEVEEN.

CONTROLLER CHECK.

APPLICATION mzo OCT. 15. 1913.

Patented A11 1, 1916.

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S. J. LEVEEN.

CONTROLLER CHECK.

APPLlCATlON man 001. I5. 1913.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

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SWAN J. LEVEEN, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 TRIO MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CON TROLLER-CHECK.

Application filed October 15, 1913.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SWAN J. LnvnnN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Island, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controller- Checks, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain improvements in controller checks intended particularly for use in connection with the starting of electric motors and the like. It will presently appear, however, that it is in no wise limited to this particular service.

The invention also relates to that general class of starting switch disclosed in a copending application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial No. 795,314, filed October 15, 1913, heretofore executed by me as inventor. The present invention, however, has reference particularly to the construction or arrangement of mechanisms whereby the starting-handle is positively arrested in its forward movement at the start ing position, so that it will be impossible for the operator to throw the switch immediately to the running position. The construction herein disclosed for accomplishing this purpose arrests the forward movement of the handle positively and locks it against further forward movement, and in order to complete the forward. movement to running position it is necessary that the handle should first be given a slight backward movement.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a lock which will normally stand in the proper position to accomplish the movement arresting function.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a lock of extremely simple and inexpensive construction, and one which can be conveniently adapted for use on various forms or arrangements of starting switch.

Other objects and uses will appear from adetailed description of the invention, which consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a side view of a complete starting switch embodying the features of invention disclosed in the aforementioned co-pending application, and having applied thereto the improvements or features of invention disclosed herein. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

Serial No. 795,315.

handle and associated parts, and the locking mechanism, are shown in their initial or open circuit position by means of full lines, and in the starting position by means of dotted lines, and certain portions of the inclosing casing are cut away to better show the interlor construction; and Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1, with the exception that the parts are shown in the starting position by means of full lines and in the running position by means of dotted lines. In this figure there is also shown by means of dotted lines the swung position of the lock which enables the handle to be thrown from starting to running position.

By reason of the fact that the lock or arresting device to which the present invention relates is herein illustrated as being attached to or associated with a switch of the general construction shown, described, and claimed in the aforementioned copending application I will not herein describe the construction of the switch in detail. It may be stated, however, that the particular switch mechanism illustrated is of such construction that the fuses or other protective devices are cut out of circuit during the starting operation so that they will not be subjected to the excessive current flowing at such time. The switch may be designed and constructed for asniany poles as desired, but in the drawings only a single pole is illustrated, inasmuch as the other poles occupy positions behind it.

In the arrangement illustrated the in coming line wires may be passed through the .bush-ings 3 to terminal blocks 4, which in turn connect through the medium of bolts or other connectors 5 to the incoming line contacts 6. I

A protective device, such as a fuse 7, is mounted in the upper portion of the switch structure corresponding to each pole. Each fuse has its terminals slipped into the clips 8 and 9. The clips 8 connect through the medium of bolts or the like 10 with running contacts 11, while the clips 9 connect di rectly to the outgoing terminal blocks 11*. From these terminal blocks the outgoing wires pass through the bushings .12 in the upper portion ofthe structure. Connected to each of the clips 9 and the corresponding terminal block 11 is a starting contact 13, the connection being executed through the medium of a belt or the like 14. A block 15 of insulating material is adapted to have a shaped plates 2-6 which serve :to limit the corresponding to each pole of the switch,

andthese contacts are adapted to slide be-" tween the running contact and the startingand line contacts. At each side of the switch structure is mounted an arm 17 said arms being pivoted on the rod 18, and normally held in the up or open circuit position by means of springs 19. The outer end of each arm is slotted to receive a pin 20 on the corresponding end of the insulating block 15. It therefore follows that the springs exert a force tending to raise the block 15, and thus to carry the contacts 16 into up or open circuit position.

An operating handle 21 provided with the customary button 22 is connected to an operating rock shaft 23. Near each end this rock shaft carries a crank'or the like 24. Each crank is connected to the corresponding pin20 by means of a linker the like 25 so that motion is thustransmitted from the handle to the block 15 which carries the contacts 16. The. operating rockshaft has connected thereto one or more triangular forward movement of the rock shaft, as

bestshown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. It

therefore follows that when the switch has been thrown clear over to the running position the springs will exert a force tending to maintain the switch in such position. On

- the other hand when the operating handle is moved backward a slight distance the toggle action of the springs will reverse and they will throw the contacts clear up to the open circuit position.

l/Vhen the insulating block has been forced down into the dotted line position of Fig. 1, which is the same as the full line position of Fig. 2, a connection is established directly from each incoming line contact 6 to the corresponding starting contact 13, so that the current can flow directly between the incoming and outgoing line wires without the necessity of traversing the fuse or other safety device. This may be termed the starting position. Of course in the arrangement illustrated it is the position in which the fuses or other protective devices are cut out or short circuited, but manifestly inmany forms of switches the starting position would be that in which some other form or nature of contact or connection was es tablished. In the particular arrangement illustrated it is desired to arrest the forward movement of the operating handle in the starting position. For this purpose I have illustrated a triangular plate or the like 27. The same is pivoted to swing freely about a center 28. A stop 29 limits the forward swing of the plate, and if desired a stop 30 may be provided for limiting the backward swing thereof. In many cases this last mentioned stop may be omitted. In its upper portion the plate carries an abutment orthe I I like 31, which is adapted to engage a finger I 32 on the upper portion of the operating I handle. In the particular arrangement illustrated the abutment constitutes a flange turned up from the side of the triangular shaped plate, but manifestly many other arrangements might be adopted.

. The plate normally hangs in the full line position of Fig. 1, which corresponds to the dottedline position 33 of Fig. 2. When standing in this position the abutment 31 lies in the line of travel of the finger 32 so that if the operating handle be thrown forward at this time it will engage said abutment and cause the triangular shaped plate to rock into the full line position of Fig.

2 until arrested by the stop 29. This corresponds to the starting osition. It is therefore evident that itwlll be impossible to proceed with the forward advance of the operating handle and contacts operated thereby until the triangular shaped plate I has been gotten out of the way. In case the operating handle be quickly moved backward a slight distance the triangular shaped plate will swing over into the dotted line position 34cof Fig. 2 in which position the finger 32 will clear the abutment 31 and allow the handle to be thrown over into running position. This forward advance of the handle must be quickly accomplished as otherwise the triangular shaped plate will swing back to carry the abutment into the line of travel of the finger 32 before said finger has passed. I

With the foregoing arrangement the forward advance of the operating handle and contacts is absolutely arrested at the starting position, and can only be resumed and continued after-a slight amount of backward movement. Thetriangular shaped plate is so constructed that when the operating handle is moved back from the running position to the initial or off position the lug 32 can easily ride over the edge 35 of the triangular shaped plate, which plate will thereafter swing back into its normal position.

It will be seen from the above disclosures that it is impossible in normal operation to move the operating handle from the initial or off position with a steady advance to the running position, and that its movement must be arrested at least momentarily when the swinging member or plate has had its swinging movement limited by the stop 29. Unless the swinging member is first swung over against the stop 29 therewill beno tendency for it to swing in the reverse direction when the handle is forced back a slight amount. This makes it imperative in I is shoved back a slight amount the plate will swing in the reverse direction a sufficient distance to enable the contact or finger 32 to clear the abutment 31.

I do not limit myself to the construction illustrated and described herein except as may be called for in the claims, inasmuch as many modifications or changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, but I include Within the scope of my invention any equivalent constructions operating in equivalent manners to produce equivalent results.

I claim:

1. A stop device for the purpose of arresting the swinging handle, said handle being provided with a contacting portion, said stop device comprising a plate pivoted at a point above its center of gravity, a lug on said plate standing in the line of travel of the contacting portion when the plate stands at the lowest position of its center of gravity, and stationary stops for limiting the swing of the plate in either direction, one of said stops being so positioned that the normal swing of the plate away from said stop under the influence of gravity will carry the lug away from the line of travel of said contacting portion.

' 2. A stop device for the purpose of arresting the travel of a swinging handle, said handle having a contacting portion, said stop device comprising a plate pivoted above its center of gravity, a contact on said plate located to one side of a line drawn through the center of gravity and the pivotal point of the plate, and a stationary stop for limiting the swing of the plate, the contact normally standing in the line of travel of the contacting portion, and said stop being so positioned that the normal swing of the plate away from said stop under the influence of gravity will carry the contact away from the line of travel of the contacting portion.

SW'AN J LEVEEN.

WVitnesses JAMES F. MURPHY, N. A. LARSON.

Copies of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

